Blame Hamas for current conflict in Gaza

November 22, 2012

Hamas, a terrorist organization that receives money and weapons from Iran, has lately escalated its assaults, which are intended to terrorize and kill civilians ("Israeli strike kills 11 in Gaza," Nov. 19). Palestinians have been firing dozens of rockets every day from Gaza, hitting cities and civilians. Israel finally retaliated to protect its civilians and launched retaliatory airstrikes on Hamas commanders. Article 51 of the UN charter indicates the "inherent right" of self-defense against armed attack, and I hope the Obama administration and the international community provide adequate support to Israel to defend itself.

Israel pulled out of Gaza and evacuated its settlements in 2002, with the high hopes that Palestinians would start a new life, build schools, hospitals, communities, create jobs, etc. Unfortunately, as before, they missed another opportunity to improve the quality of their lives. Hamas, the Palestinians' corrupted radical organization, has failed to build sustainable communities and has instead imposed only misery, hardship, and abuse of human rights on its own people and has invested in continued terrorism, propaganda and hatred toward Jews and Israel.

Peace will not be achievable if the Palestinians refuse to recognize Israel, accept a two-state solution, denounce violence, reject text books with anti-Semitic messages of hatred, and honor previous agreements with Israel. Peace will not be achievable if the international community will not hold terror organizations and their radical Jihadist ideology accountable.